STARKVILLE — Nick Shumaker joined the Starkville Fire Department nine years ago and has risen through the ranks to become a sergeant.
He grew up in Starkville and loves helping people. He also loves his job as a first responder, so much that he has a second job as a police officer in Louisville, a position he has held for three years.
When Shumaker joined SFD in 2013, one part he didn’t love was the pay. He started out making $8.83 per hour, which came out to about $26,000 per year.
Entry-level pay at the department has improved since — increasing to $35,000 per year today — and Shumaker’s tenure and promotions have helped him even more.
A pay raise would give Shumaker “more cushion” financially, but he would keep his gig in Louisville all the same, he said. But for other firefighters, like Steven Boren, who also works a second job to make ends meet, it could be a gamechanger.
“No more second job, and I’d get to spend more time at home,” Boren said.
Aldermen are discussing pouring $1.1 million into pay increases for city employees into its Fiscal Year 2023 budget, with about 90 percent of those funds going to the police and fire departments. Roughly one-third of the total, at least $305,000, would come from a 1-mill ad valorem tax hike.
A mill is used to measure property tax, and Mayor Lynn Spruill previously told The Dispatch a 1-mill increase would raise a citizen’s tax bill by $30 per every $100,000 of assessed property value owned.
Aldermen held its first public hearing on the proposed tax increase on Tuesday and will hold a second hearing Aug. 16 before voting on it. If approved, it would become effective once the new fiscal year begins Oct. 1.
Staffing shortages
Beginning a career as a first responder takes a great deal of time, skill and effort.
Aside from the basic requirements of having a high school diploma or equivalent and a driver’s license, an aspiring firefighter has to meet rigorous physical requirements, pass fire academy training and become a certified EMT — all to make $35,000 a year.
It is a similar story at the Starkville Police Department, where a fresh police officer will make $38,000 before academy training and $40,000 after.
The pay levels in Starkville are low compared to other similar cities like Tupelo, where a new firefighter can make “$7,000 or $8,000 more,” Yarborough said.
The absence of competitive salary has led to chronic staffing shortages in both departments, with SFD lacking 16 firefighters and police department short 17 officers.
Ward 2 Alderwoman and Budget Chairwoman Sandra Sistrunk said those two departments are“having the hardest time with recruiting and retaining employees.”
Both Yarbrough and Police Chief Mark Ballard agree more money would go a long way toward easing the staffing shortages, with Ballard calling pay “the final hurdle.”
“A lot of departments, especially in the northern part of the state, are paying more than we are, and that’s what’s hurting us,” Ballard said. “Time is running against us.”
Ballard said his department has been losing two officers a month recently. With the proposed pay increase, he said SPD becomes “competitive overnight” in recruiting new officers from other agencies and “stabilization begins immediately.”
“We’ve got good personnel, a good work environment and good equipment,” he said. “I think pay is the final feature for us to recruit more effectively.”
Discussion about the tax hike
Not all citizens, and not even all the aldermen, are totally on board with the tax hike, even for first-responder pay.
Citizen Kelly Prather asked the board to “pump the brakes” and show restraint during Tuesday’s public hearing. Ward 1 Alderman Ben Carver questioned whether the city could delay the pay increases or if the money could be found elsewhere in the budget.
Yarbrough told The Dispatch he knew it couldn’t come from elsewhere in the existing fire department budget. As it is, he said, firefighters often repair their own equipment, maintain vehicles and even remodeled a fire station last year themselves.
“We struggle to make ends meet from October to October, so we’re very frugal with our budget, and we tend to do a lot of things in house,” Yarbrough said.
Spruill, who supports the tax increase, said the city’s current 30.13 millage rate is fifth lowest among similar sized cities in the state. She doesn’t think raising that by 1 mill is unreasonable.
“I don’t think we are beyond the pale when it comes to our tax rate,” Spruill said.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 46 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 46 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
Join the Discussion